Flexible coupling and rollers therefor



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Aug, H2 1924.,

is for em-lf al lh-s han UUlpllllilGr. Aldi) RULL'ERS lDldiEEtlElEtlldh Application llled lune lo, i922. Serial No. 566,738.

To all whom it may concer/t.'

lBe it lrnown that llyCLannnon lll. drieen, a citizen of the United States, residing in ldlaineld, in the county oit lllnion, State oi t lle-w Jersey, have invented certain new and lli balls between the driving and driven memdll bers oit the coupling are not homogeneous7 having a highly resilient outer layer overlying an inner layer or layers ot increased rigidity and hardness.

'lhe novel tea-tures ol my invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. 'lhe invention itself, however,'with its advantages, will best be under stood trom the following description taken` in connection with the accompanying drawing in which-fn l is a sectional view, partly in elevation, ot a coupling according to my inn vention, two oi the balls being omitted.

lWigQ is a sectional view taken on line 2Q in Fig. l, parts being shown in elevation. l

Figs. 3, l and 5 are cross-sections oit balls or rollers according to my invention.

Figs. l and 2 .illustrate apparatusol the typo disclosed in said rlarboi; application.

ln the drawing l and 2 are sha-lts, one oit which is driving member-and the other a driven member. intermediate shafts l and 2 is a :flexible coupling 3 according to my inventiona said coupling comprising a spider l having arms 5, 5 extending radially therelrom9 and the housing 6 surrounding said arms and having internally projecting segments l, l lined thereto intermediate said arms. Upposing laces ol the arms 5., 5 and segments 7, *l have therein depressions tl, 8 in which are resilient'rollers or balls 9, tl acting to transmit thrust between the arms '5 and segments 7. 'lhe recesses tl are so formed that the members tl may roll freely therein but to a limited eirtent.

rlihe foregoing description applies equally well to the apparatus disclosed in said nlarbor. application.

According to my invention, the rollers 9 comprise an external layer l0 oit rubber or like highly resilient material surrounding a central. core ll preferably nl highly compressed combination ol labric and hard binder or other suitable material having the characteristics oi high strength and rigidity.

According to my invention l may interpose between the outer highly resilient layer 10 and the central rigid core ll a layer l2 whose characteristics are intermediate between those of layer .10 and core 1l. Layer l2 may be ol rubber, but more highly vulcanized than that ol the outer layer l0. Layer l2 may also, if desired7 be reinforced by strips of labric or like material to increase its resistance. By using composite lrollers 9 as previously described l obtain,

accordin to m invention a hifrhl in creased capacity ior transmitting loads the resilient layer not only acting as a cushion but distributing the stresses more uniformly over the harder central load resisting portion than would .be the case il the roller were uniformly hard and in direct contact with the members 5 and l. lit uniformly hard rollers or balls were useda contact would be merely along a line or at a point on each side o'l.I a given roller.

lllig. 3 illustrates a roller or ball 9 ac cording to my invention in which. the intermediate layer l2 has been omitted.

liig. l illustrates a roller or ball gli accord ing to my invention in which the central core ll is grooved or pitted as indicated at 'lhL to increase the grip ol part ll on part l0.

5 illustrates a ball or roller 9c according to my invention inv which the central core ll. is provided with projections lll which also act to increase the grip ol p Lt il on part lil.

lWhile l have illustrated my invention applied to a particular type oiD tlenible coupling, l do not limit myselll to this particular type, my invention being equally applicable to other types, one of which is illustrated in l' the application lor flexible couplings @ferial titl No. 484,664, filed July 14, 1921, by myself and the said Gurdon L. Tarbox.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination in a flexible couplingy of driving and driven parts, and spherical rolling members intermediate said parts and acting under compression, said members having a resilient outer layer and a core which is hard relatively to said outer layer.

2. The combination i-n a flexible coupling of driving and driven parts, and spherical resilient rolling members intermediate said parts and acting under compression, said members having an outer layer of rubber and a core which is hard relatively to said outer layer.

3. The combination in a flexible coupling of driving and driven members, and resilient rolling members intermediate said parts and acting under compression,l said members having a resilient outer layer, a relatively hard core, and a layer between said layerand core of intermediate hardness.

4. A spherical bearing member for fienible couplings comprising an outer resilient layer and a relatively hard core.

5. A roller for flexible couplings comprising an outer resilient layer, a relatively hard core and al layer between said layer and core harder than said outer layer but softer than said core.

6. A spherical bearing member for flexible couplings comprising an outer layer of resil ient. rubber, and a relatively strong and hard core. r

7.` The combination in a'lexible coupling of driving and driven parts, and spherical rolling members intermediate said parts and acting under compression, said members having an outer layer of resilient rubber and a relatively hard and relatively strong core.

8. The combination in a flexible couplinlT of driving and driven parts, and spherica resilient rolling members intermediate said parts and acting under compression, said members having an outer layer of rubber and a core which is hard relatively to said outer layer.

9. A spherical bearing member for iexible couplings comprising an outer resilient layer, a relatively hard core and a layer be tween said layer and core harder than said outer layer but softer than said core.

CLARENCE W. sPIcER. 

